Phill Kline’s deep commitment to people of faith
Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline wants you to think he’s a spiritual man. He sues family planning clinics, tries to peek into women’s medical records for evidence of sin, he even has his staff sort through donated CDs, making sure impure lyrics don’t wind up in our libraries.
As the campaign against recent Democratic convert Paul Morrison heats up, Kline is reaching out to churches. It seems only natural. But he’s not there for the spiritual solace, and he isn’t interested in hearing lots of God-talk.
In a memo sent out by an anonymous “Concerned Citizen” Kline is quoted telling his staff “Get me out… I’m spending too long at these events.” It isn’t that he doesn’t like the cash, of course, he just doesn’t want to have to get to know the people he’s supposed working for. “Must rework Joe Wright and Terry Fox. Must get in their pulpit… Perhaps we can get Dobson by phone.” Dobson is the famed head of Focus on Family and a host of related groups, Fox and Wright are pastors who worked hard to pass a constitutional amendment on gay marriage.
But again, Kline isn’t seeking spiritual guidance, as he finishes that paragraph by writing that the pastors “must commit to get 5–10 people there each who can drop $1,000 to $2,000.”
There is also a curious reference to “Gideon commitment forms.” This is either a Biblical reference, or a reference to a rapist who was civilly committed. Has anyone seen these forms, and if so, would you send me a copy?
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“Gideons” is an organization that distributes Bibles. New members sign a very specific dogmatic commitment form. This may be what is being referred to. Sorry, I don’t have the form.
They put the Bibles in hotel rooms. Full name is “The Gideons International”. You can find out a little more online but not the commitment form. Many evangelical churches support them.
They put the Bibles in hotel rooms. Full name is “The Gideons International”. You can find out a little more online but not the commitment form. Many evangelical churches support them.
This Gideon group is the source of the old ‘urban myth’ about money being left in Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms to reward those seeking god. See http://www.snopes.com/luck/gideon.asp.
I don’t think it’s that group. The passage lists “Gideon commitment forms made out for that event” below “must have” “materials,” along with palm cards and other campaign material.
I wonder if it doesn’t have to do with Kansas’ civil commitment law, passed as a response to an act by a guy named Gideon.
Some detail in the case of Donald Ray Gideon can be found in the link. What it has to do with this matter, if anything, I don’t know. The case involved whether his parole officer or employer were liable in the death of Stephanie Schmidt. The answer was ‘no’.